307 "Carina" - Pullman Kitchen First

Carina was built in 1951 for the Golden Arrow and was one of the last 'traditionally' designed Pullman Cars to be built. On 30 January 1965 Carina formed part of Sir Winston Churchill's funeral train. Three years later it was remodelled with 2 + 1 seating and lost its name becoming plain No. S307S. Upon withdrawal in March 1973, Carina became a static restaurant at a hotel near Lyon in France before being recovered in 1980 for use by the VSOE. It was partially stripped, with new end timbers prepared before plans were changed and in May 2002, after many years in storage, Carina was sold and moved to Pickering.

On January 5 Car 307, Carina, arrived from the North Yorkshire Moors Railway for storage onbehalf of the 5BEL Trust who wish to restore a 5-car BEL electric set to the main-line. They require a first class kitchen car and of the three built, only Doris could be available to them. We would like a back up to Fingall and in the long term, a wooden bodied Carina would be easier to maintain than an all-steel Brighton Belle car. The deal would require that the incomplete Carina would be brought upto a similar level of completeness before an exchange for Doris would go ahead.